Running board



Oct. 3, 1933.

B. BRONSON RUNNING BOARD Filed March 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l l rllllllllllll l .Lz vente?? UCL 3, 1933. B, BRONSON 1,928,682

RUNNING BOARD Filed March 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 3, `1931? y1,928,682 ffnnNNiNonoaao n ABudd'il'vronsorn Cleveland, hio, assigner to The (linie Rubber Company, Cl

poration of. @his evelanrl, Ohio, a cor- Applieation Maren 26,- 1930. seriali No. 458,953

` zolaims. miese-iss) This invention relates to vehicle running boards, and as its principal object aims to provide an improved and durable foi-moi running board which is very attractive in appearance.

Further objects and advantages `of thisv invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the yaccom-- panying sheets of drawings, in which:r

Fig. 1 is a topplan'view of a running board constructed according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken online 2-2 oi Fig. l; e

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing r"another runrLJiing` board constructedaccording to myinvenion; e

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken `on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; e

Fig. 5 is a top plan view showing another runfning board embodying my invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 7 is a top planview showing still another running board ,embodying myinvention; and

Fig. 8 isa sectional view taken on line` 8-8oi Fig. 7.

In the drawingato Whichjshall now rei'er in detail, I have shown several composite steel and rubber vehicle runing boardsV oonstructedfaccording to my invention.v It should be understood, however, that while Vtheselparticular run# ning boards are shown and described in ra detailedy manner for the purpose of illustration, my invention may also be embodied in composite run,m ning boardsr of variousforrns and shapes.

The running board illustrated in Figs. i and f2 f metal body may be' of` any suitable size and shape, andas here illustrated, isf-rectangular in 'form having a substantially Vhorizontally Aextending top portion 12. At the ends of the metal body, and at the inner side edge thereof which is toward the vehicle body, a continuous raised bead 13 is provided which proiectsa'bove the surfaceof the top portion of the metallic body shown in Fig. 2 the lower portion 15 of thisflange extends outwardly beyond the upperportion 17 'thereof "so 'as to provide the shoulder '18 atwthe junction of these upper and lower portions of the flange. The outwardly extending lower portion of thisdepending ange may be givengany desirable shape, and in the runningboard herein illustrated, the metal at the extreme lower edge of this portion is bent around to form .a substantially channel-shaped bead 19.

. n The bead 13 and the depending flanges 14 and 15,Vas will be readily seen from the drawings, re'- eniorce and materially strengthen theV metal body. `In additionto this function, these porm tions also servey to make the running board more 7|)A attractive in appearance, as will be morefully `disclosed hereinafter.

The nrubber covering l1 is niolded `and vul-v canized tothe surface of the top portion of the metal body,` andis carried down upon the roundthe top surface oi the rnetal bodyY leaving the SQ bead 13, and the lowerbutwardly extending por-V tion of.' the depending -fiange 15, exposed or uncovered. .The shoulderlS, andthe bead 13 along the inner edge kof the body and across the ends `thereof, protect the 'edges of the rubber covering g5 so that during useof the running board these edgesWill notbe torn loose from the metal. If desired, during the molding operation, the upper f surface of thefru'bber covering may be provided lwith any suitable pattern or configuration.' Ruboo ber rivets 19', suitably spaced and extending `through the metal body, may also'be provided 'as an additional ymeans for securing the rubber covering to the metal.

To give the running board decorative.appearancathe exposed portion Vof the` beadl, `and* the exposed outwardly extend-` ing lower portion of the depending ilange 15., are

coatedorotherwise treated in any'suitable man.u ner with appropriate material to Vgive them a def- 1.00

sred decorative appearance. While any suitable f material maybe applied to these exposed por.- tions of the metal base., I prefer to apply chromiurnVV to these portions because of the abilityof this material to resistcorrosion, andbeca'use this 195 material gives the exposed portions of the metal base a hard surface characteristic which tends to resist wear at these points. In Figs. 3 and 4 ofjthe drawings, I have shown another rubber coveredV running board conlll) an attractive and structed according to my invention. This running board comprises a metallic body 20 and rubber covering 21 secured thereto by being molded and vulcanized in contact with the metal. This form of running board is similar to the form already described in detail in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, diiering essentially from that construction only in the shape of the depending fiange 22 which extends along the outer edge of the base. As clearly shown in Fig. 4 this flange is so formed that the lower portion thereof extends outwardly beyond the rounded upper portion thereof, a distance which is considerably greater than the thickness of the rubber covering. The wide shoulder 23 thus formed at the junction of the upper and lower portions of the depending iiange, is engaged by an edge of the rubber covering which is secured to the top portion of the body and extended down upon the rounded upper portion of the flange. These exposed portions of the depending flange, and the exposed bead 24 which extends along the ends and along the inner edge of the metal body are coated or treated with suitable material, as described in detail in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, so as to provide a desired decorative finish.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, I have shown another composite steel and rubber running board embodying my invention. In this form of construction the metal body 25 is formed with a rounded depending iiange 26 extending along its outer edge. A raised bead 27 extends across the ends of the body and along the inner side edge thereof. A similar bead 28 formed at the lower edge of the depending iiange 26 extends outwardly beyond the upper curved portion of this flange. The beads 27 and 28 together provide the metal body with a substantially continuous raised marginal portion which extends above the surface of the body a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the rubber covering. At intervals intermediate the ends of the metal body, I provide transverse raised beads or ridges 29 which connect the beads 27 and 28`extending along the side edges of the body. These transverse beads divide the surface of the body into a plurality of shallow pan-like sections which extend across the top of the body and down over the rounded portion of the depending flange 26.

The major portion of the top surface of the metal body is provided with rubber covering by molding and vulcanizing sheets of rubber 30 in contact with the metal so as to substantially fill the shallow pan-like sections. These sheets of rubber extend acrosss the surface of the body and down upon the rounded upper portion of the depending iiange 26 and engage the outwardly extending bead 28, leaving this bead and the beads 27 and 29 exposed. To give the running board a decorative and attractive appearance, these exposed beads extending around the edge of the board, and also the exposed transversely extending beads 29, are coated or treated with a suitable material as already described in detail in connection with Figs. 1 and 4.

In Figs. '7 and 8 I have shown still another running board embodying my invention. In this form of construction I provide a metallic base 31 which is formed with a continuous raised marginal bead 32 similar to the marginal bead provided on the running board shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This form of construction differs, however, from that described in detail in connection with Figs. 5 and 6, in that the surface of the body is divided into shallow sections by raised beads or ridges 33 which extend longitudinally of the body instead of transversely as shown in Fig. 5. The major portion of the top surface of the board is provided with rubber covering in the form of the rubber sheets 34. These rubber sheets substantially ll the shallow sections and are secured to the body by being molded and vulcanized in contact with the metal. It will be noted that the sheet 35 which extends along the outer edge of the body is carried down upon the depending iiange 36 and engages the outwardly extending bead 32 at the lower edge of this flange. The longitudinally extending beads 33, and the marginal bead 32, are left uncovered, and to give the running board a decorative and attractive appearance, these exposed portions are coated or treated with a suitable material to provide the desired decorative finish.

In addition to being useful for enhancing the appearance of the running board, the transversely extending and longitudinally extending beads shown in Figs. 5 and '7, also serve as stiffening ribs which strengthen and reinforce the metal body. Furthermore, these raised beads tend to reduce the wear to which the rubber covering is subjected during use and thus prolong the usefulness of the running boards. These beads also tend to prevent lateral movement of the sections of rubber covering relative to the top surface of the metal body, and also protect the edges of the rubber sheets against being torn loose from the metal.

It will now be readily seen that I have provided composite running boards of a durable character which are very attractive in appearance, and while I have illustrated and described my invention in a detailed manner, it should be understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the precise details shown and described, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not involve a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A running board comprising a metallic body stamped from sheet metal and having integral raised ridges dividing substantially the entire surface thereof into a series of contiguous shallow sections, and sheets of rubber vulcanized to said body so as to substantially iill said sections leaving the top portion of said ridges exposed.

2. A running board comprising a sheet metal body having a plurality of integrally formed beads projecting above the surface of the major portion of the body and dividing said surface into a plurality of shallow sections, and a rubber tread disposed in each of said sections and substantially uniformly attached to said body, said sections being in contiguous relation whereby the treads disposed therein provide said body with a rubber covering which is interrupted in continuity only by said beads.

BUDD BRONSON. 

